President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Citizens of Russia, friends,
In just a few minutes, the year 2025 will begin, marking the completion of the first quarter of the 21st century.
For Russia, this period has been marked by numerous events, including developments of historical significance and great magnitude. We set ambitious goals for ourselves and achieved them, coped with many challenges because we stood united.
This’s what consolidated our unity, strengthened our confidence in ourselves, in our abilities, in our potential. True, there is still a lot to be accomplished, but we can be rightfully proud of what we have already achieved. This is our joint achievement, a solid foundation for future progress.
Our nation – independent, free, and strong – has tackled successfully the most formidable challenges. As we stand on the brink of a new year, we think about the future. We are confident that everything is going to be all right. We will continue to advance. We know for sure that Russia’s destiny and well-being of its people has always been and will remain our absolute value.
Sincere love for our Motherland gives our lives a deep sense of purpose, while determination to make our own contribution to protecting its sovereignty, security, interests, and freedom of development has become a matter of honour for us.
As we welcome the New Year, the thoughts and hopes of families and friends, of millions of people across Russia are with our soldiers and commanders. You are the true heroes who undertook a great task and immense responsibility of defending Russia and ensuring peace and security for our nation. We are proud of your bravery and valour and we believe in you.
In your honour, in honour of the 80th anniversary of Great Victory and as a tribute to the memory of our ancestors who have always defended the Motherland, the upcoming year 2025 has been declared the Year of the Defender of the Fatherland in Russia. We are the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of the generation that crushed Nazism. We remain loyal to the legacy and traditions of our veterans.
Friends,
New Year’s Eve always holds a special place in our hearts, filling us with warmth and hope that our dreams, aspirations, and best intentions will come to fruition. As the countdown to the New Year begins, we find ourselves surrounded by our near and dear ones: our family, children, parents, grandchildren, our friends and comrades-in-arms.
I wish happiness and prosperity to our every home and every family, and to our beloved country, Russia. Together, we can achieve anything.
Happy New Year, friends! Happy 2025!